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| Song Thrush |
Having not been to Riverside Nature Park at all during February, I decided that I really should make the effort to visit on the 1st of March. There were a few possibilities that I might be able to add to my #2025Dundee150 list, though none were anything like guaranteed. As well as the birds I might see or hear at the park, I wanted to check Cox's Stack for Peregrine. While on my way to work a few days previously, I had seen a falcon in the pre-sunrise gloom perched on the Peregrine's favourite corner but I couldn't quite make out whether it was a Peregrine or the escaped Saker Falcon. I've seen peregrine there in previous years, but the Saker has been showing up on the Stack quite regularly this year already. I needed to be able to rule it out to get Peregrine on my list.
Feral Pigeon, House Sparrow, Herring Gull and Magpie greeted me when I stepped outside just after 0720. Carrion Crow, Dunnock and Great Tit were picked up just around the corner. Goldfinch, Black Headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Blackbird and Blue Tit kept things ticking along nicely as the list grew longer. I decided I would head up to the top of the Law to see if there was anything perched on Cox's Stack. Starling, Robin, Goldcrest and a skein of Pink Footed Geese were all noted as I made my way towards the hill. I added Bullfinch at the last set of steps up to the top of the Law. Chaffinch, Wren and Song Thrush were noted around the top of the hill, with the Song Thrush in particular showing really well as it sung loudly from the fenceline and a small bush near the northwestern extremeties.
A skein of Pink Footed Goose passed close to the hill. A minute or two later I spotted the Saker Falcon perched on Cox's Stack just seconds before it ran to the nearer corner. A Grey Squirrel was photographed as it ate cones in a tree just slightly below eye level. A Sparrowhawk put in an appearance and a Cormorant was seen very distantly heading upriver. With not too much happening I decided to continue on in the direction of Riverside Nature Park, noting Long Tailed Tits flitting around by the steps on the western side. Common Gull was found with Black Headed Gulls at the Lochee Park football pitches then Greenfinch, Rook and Stock Dove were found around Ninewells Hospital grounds. I reached the western end of the Nature Park just after 0935 and started scanning out over the bay.
Bullfinch, Long Tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Woodpigeon, Carrion Crow, Great Tit, Wren, Goldfinch, Jackdaw and Feral Pigeons were either in the trees and bushes or flew overhead as I checked out the birds on the mud and the water. Herring Gull, Mallard, Curlew, my first Dundee Shelducks of the year, Redshank, Black Headed Gull, Oystercatcher and Greylag Goose were all soon added to the list. Dunnock, Magpie, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Blackbird and Greenfinch rounded off the sightings from around the hide area before I wandered along into the main part of the park. There were a few Rabbits in among the bushes and a skein of Pink Footed Geese overflew. I had a look at the Lochan which got me Moorhen and Teal. A Skylark lifted skywards from the top of the hill and a male Reed Bunting sang from the hedge just west of the hide.
Rooks were seen to the north before I set off eastwards along the path. I found a flock of Redwings and a Robin between the two halves of the park. I bumped into Mark at the car park on my way to check the lower half, so we wandered back round for a proper look at the bay and the river. A Stock Dove flew over. We were able to add Lesser Black Backed Gull, Dunlin, Black Tailed Godwit, Grey Heron, Goosander and Cormorant. Thanks to Mark's scope I was also able to add my first Dundee Little Egret, with a very distant bird hanging round the small island off Kingoodie as the tide rose. A few Yellowhammers were nearby and more scanning provided Bar Tailed Godwit, 3 Turnstones, a distant Red Breasted Merganser pair and a small group of around half a dozen Knot.
A Buzzard circled off to the northwest somewhere over the Technology Park. Mark headed off sometime around noon and I did a bit more wandering to see if I could reach 50 species at the park. I happened to see something drop into the water with a splash and was surprised to see it was a Curlew. There was no obvious reason for its crash-landing and it appeared to be struggling in the water, drawing the attention of a few nearby gulls. Unfortunately, I was distracted by something else and missed the eventual outcome. Common Gull was added on another visit to the bay, a Sparrowhawk circled off to the north and a Great Black Backed Gull appeared down on the pipe. There were a few immature gulls that looked potentially interesting but I suspect they were just Herring Gulls (as always, for me). A Siskin was heard calling as it flew over unseen.
A flock of 15 Whooper Swans were another very welcome addition, as they headed upriver following the northern bank - my third new species for my #2025Dundee150 list of the day, and my fifth in just 2 days. After another hour or so wandering I found myself back at the Lochan where I almost missed a trio of Snipe roosting together in the long grass at the western end. While exploring the bottom half of the park, I spooked a young/female Pheasant which flew off, and almost immediately sttumbled upon a male which ran off towards Buzzard Wood. The Pheasants took my total at the park to a very decent 53 species. The walk home only got me 2 more species for the 'outwith the park' part of the list with Siskin heard over Balgay Cemetery and the ringed Oystercatcher (6A5) seen on the football pitches at Lochee Park where it appears to be back for another breeding season somewhere in the vicinity. My total for 'outwith the park' ended up being 29 species (plus the escaped Saker) to give me a combined total of 56 species, including 3 new ones (in bold) in what was a surprisingly productive day's birding to start March off.
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| Grey Squirrel |
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| Sparrowhawk |
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| Pink Footed Goose |
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| Magpie |
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| Dunnock |
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| Long Tailed Tit |
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| Greylag Goose |
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| Skylark |
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| Teal |
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| Reed Bunting |
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| Redwing |
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| Stock Dove |
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| Little Egret |
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| Turnstone & Black Tailed Godwit |
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| Knot, Dunlin & Redshank |
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| Bar Tailed Godwit |
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| Whooper Swan |
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| Redshank, Dunlin, Teal |
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| Redshank, Knot, Dunlin |
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| Shelduck |
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| Knot & Redshank |
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| Black Headed Gull & Common Gull |
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| Cormorant |
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| Snipe |
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| Robin |
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| Greenfinch |
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| Bullfinch |
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| Rabbit |
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| Oystercatcher (6A5) |
Birds (outwith Riverside Nature Park) - Black Headed Gull, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch, Carrion
Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Goldfinch,
Great Tit, Greenfinch, Herring Gull, House
Sparrow, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Oystercatcher, Pink Footed Goose,
Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, [Saker Falcon], Siskin, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Starling, Stock Dove,
Woodpigeon, Wren.
Mammals (outwith Riverside Nature Park) -
Birds (at Riverside Nature Park) - Bar Tailed Godwit,
Black Headed Gull, Black Tailed Godwit, Blackbird, Blue Tit, Bullfinch,
Buzzard, Carrion Crow, Chaffinch, Common Gull, Cormorant, Curlew,
Dunlin, Dunnock, Goldfinch, Goosander, Great Black Backed Gull, Great Tit, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Greylag Goose,
Herring Gull, Jackdaw, Knot, Lesser Black Backed Gull, Little Egret, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Mallard,
Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pink Footed Goose, Red Breasted Merganser, Redshank,
Redwing, Reed Bunting, Robin, Feral Pigeon, Rook, Shelduck, Siskin, Skylark, Snipe, Song Thrush, Sparrowhawk, Stock Dove, Teal,
Turnstone, Whooper Swan, Woodpigeon, Wren, Yellowhammer.
Mammals (at Riverside Nature Park) - Rabbit.
